Russia Puts Crimea Themes On New Banknote

Russia is introducing a new banknote showing images of Ukraine's annexed Crimea region.

The new 200 ruble ($3.5) note was presented by Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina at a press conference in Moscow on October 12.

It shows a naval memorial in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based, and the ruins of the ancient city of Chersonesus.

The design also includes a map of the Crimean Peninsula.

The images on the banknote were chosen after a national competition to pick symbols of Russia.

"The Russian people chose these symbols," Nabiullina told journalists. "This reflects the desire of the people of Russia to see these symbols on notes."

Nabiullina also said that the new images "will not harm the position of the ruble in any way."

Russia seized Crimea in March 2014, sending in troops and staging a referendum denounced as illegal by dozens of countries. It also backs separatists in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.

The United States, other Western countries, and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine that have hit Russia’s economy and currency hard.

The green, 200-ruble banknote, along with a new 2,000-ruble ($35) bill that shows the Vostochny Cosmodrome being built in Russia's Far East, are planned to appear nationwide by the end of the year.